Hear the stories of farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system: urban farmer, activist, and 2008 MacArthur “Genius” Award fellow, Will Allen; sustainable farmer and entrepreneur, Joel Salatin (from Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma); and supermarket owner, David Ball, who is creating a new market model for family farmers. FRESH offers a call to action... with actionable solutions. Local-food bazaar precedes the screening and a panel discussion w/ local farmers and experts follows.

Co-presented by the JHU Center for a Livable Future, the Rodgers Forge Farm Initiative, and the Hamilton Crop Circle.

Local food bazaar 6:30pm, Screening 7:30pm.

Panelists:
Mark “Coach” Smallwood, Whole Foods Market, Mid Atlantic Green Mission Specialist
Mark Smallwood is currently the Mid Atlantic Green Mission Specialist for Whole Foods Market. He is responsible for improving the environmental footprint of 30 stores in 6 states, a large commissary, a distribution center and a seafood facility totally over 1.5 million square feet. Mark’s current projects include diverting waste from the landfills, reducing packaging, and energy efficiency to name a few.
Mark was an organic farmer before joining Whole Foods. He raised chickens, goats, pigs, sheep and had a 3 acre market garden. He drove a team of oxen instead of a tractor resulting in the use of only 42 gallons of gas for an entire year on the farm. Also, while farming, Mark worked as a consultant to small businesses helping them to “Go Green.”
Mark is also a former Public School educator and Head Coach.

Wayne Roberts manages the Toronto Food Policy Council (TFPC), a citizen body of 30 food activists and experts that is widely recognized for its innovative approach to food security.[1] As a leading member of the City of Toronto's Environmental Task Force, he helped develop a number of official plans for the city, including the Environmental Plan and Food Charter, adopted by Toronto City Council in 2000 and 2001 respectively.[2] Many ideas and projects of the TFPC are featured in Roberts' book The No-Nonsense Guide to World Food (2008).[3] Since 1989, Roberts has written a weekly column for Toronto’s NOW Magazine, generally on themes that link social justice, public health and green economics.In 2002, he received the Canadian Environment Award for his contributions to sustainable living.[5] NOW Magazine named Roberts one of Toronto’s leading visionaries of the past 20 years. In 2008, he received the Canadian Eco-Hero Award presented by Planet in Focus. Roberts earned a Ph.D. in social and economic history from the University of Toronto in 1978, and has written seven books, including Get A Life! (1995), a manual on green economics, and Real Food For A Change (1999), which promotes a food system based on the four ingredients of health, joy, justice and nature.[6]

Katherine Ozer, Executive Director, National Family Farm Coalition
Kathy Ozer has worked on credit issues since 1988. Her focus is on implementation issues surrounding the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987, the National Appeals Division, Chapter 12 Bankruptcy, and credit issues relating to natural disasters. The National Family Farm Coalition’s (NFFC) Credit Task Force has worked on both securing changes to existing credit programs and working to hold the USDA accountable on existing programs — both eligibility and delivery issues.

Jackie Coldsmith, De La Tierra Gardens, Jackie is a graduate of Hood College with a degree in Environmental Science. After participating in an internship in 2002 at Merck Forest and Farmland Center in Rupert, VT, she decided to make a go at it on her father's land in Taneytown, MD. She formed her business in 2003 and has been farming ever since. She lives with her husband Travis and daughter Stella. De La Tierra Gardens is small Certified Organic farm located in Carroll County, MD. They intensively grow a variety of vegetables, herbs and flowers for sale at farmers markets and through their CSA program.